El Niño Unleashed: Key Climate Developments Spark Worry Across South Africa
El Niño is now firmly established and projected to be a very strong event, potentially persisting into early 2027. This climate pattern is expected to bring below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures to Southern Africa, raising concerns about drought and water scarcity. While a recent buffer exists, experts urge appropriate caution given the added complexity of ongoing global warming.Pelumi Ilesanmi • Across Africa • 19 hours ago • 1 minute read •
El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by significantly elevated sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, has made a strong return, profoundly altering global rainfall, temperature, and storm patterns. This phenomenon is now firmly established, with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) stating with nearly 100% certainty that it is expected to persist through February 2027. Weekly sea surface temperatures in the primary monitoring region have already registered between 2.2 and 2.6 degrees Celsius above average, indicating an intensifying event forecast to peak towards the end of 2026.
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